Video of Danick Gauthier’s hit/elbow on Brandon Gormley
has surfaced. The play occurred late in the third period of the Saint John Sea
Dogs’ 2-1 overtime win over the Moncton Wildcats on Tuesday night.

Here are the moving pictures, courtesy of
HockeyFights.com.

Yikes. The camera angle isn’t great, but we’ve talked to
a few witnesses who had a different view and most agree that it, at the very
least, deserved a penalty. Somehow there was no call on the play.

Luckily Gormley wasn’t hurt and took part in
the overtime session. If Gormley, who is basically a lock to make Team Canada’s
world junior team, was hurt on the play, this hit would likely be getting a lot
of attention right now.

After a successful week, the Saint John Sea Dogs have
moved up in the BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings. The latest edition of the
rankings were released this afternoon.

The Sea Dogs moved up to No. 2 from No. 3 this week after
winning three straight games. Saint John hosted the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
for back-to-back games over the weekend, winning the Friday contest 5-2 and
Saturday’s 4-1. Last night, the Sea Dogs needed overtime to dispatch the Moncton
Wildcats by score of 2-1.

Despite all of their injury woes, the Sea Dogs have
remained competitive. They are 8-1-0-1 in their last 10 games and sit first
overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League standings with a record of
24-7-0-1.

Other QMJHL teams to crack this week’s Top 10 were the
Quebec Remparts at No.4, Shawinigan Cataractes at No. 6 and the Victorivaille
Tigres at No. 9.

Jacques Beaulieu and the Sarnia Sting slid to 10th
this week.

The weekly rankings of the Canadian Hockey League’s Top
10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

Saint John plays two games this week – both are at
Harbour Station. On Saturday, the Dogs host No. 6 ranked team in the CHL, the
Cataractes, at 7pm and then on Sunday they host Alexandre Beauregard, Gabriel
Bourret and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens at 3pm.

A collection of recaps from last night’s 2-1 Saint John Sea
Dogs overtime win over the Moncton Wildcats…

Our recap. To put it simply, the Sea Dogs played a solid
game. They worked with what they had, put in a strong effort, and walked away
with the extra point. Although it wasn’t pretty at times – like on that
five-minute power play – it got the job done.

The Times & Transcript’s recap. "I think we did
a lot of things well," said Wildcats head coach Danny Flynn. "Saint
John was missing some key forwards, but they have a 20-year-old goalie and a
veteran defence corps so the back end of their team is intact. They did a good
job of making it tough for us to generate scoring chances."

The Canadian Press’ recap. Charles-Olivier Roussel scored
3:38 into overtime Tuesday as the Saint John Sea Dogs defeated the Moncton
Wildcats 2-1 in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

SaintJohnSeaDogs.com’s recap. Zack Phillips picked up two
assists and now has the first 20-game points streak in team history – the
longest streak in the league this season. Tomas Jurco also had two assists and
Mathieu Corbeil made 30 saves for the win.

MonctonWildcats.com’s recap. The Dogs took the game 2-1
in front of a good crowd of 3965, 35 fans shy of one point towards the Rivalry
Cup.

SN Live Blog replay.We don’t have much respect for Wild
Willie after his pathetic performance against Fleaburn in that race a few years
ago, but it is nice to see him back at 100% following his injury.

On Monday, Hockey Canada announced its 41-man selection camp roster for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championship. Eight players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League were among the chosen, including three Saint John Sea Dogs. The QMJHL has long been the least-represented of the three leagues under the CHL umbrella; most times justified, sometimes not so much.

This year may be even more barren of talent from the Q than previous years, as none of the coaching staff hail from the league. The staff tend to lean toward players they’re familiar with when picking the team, which gives a big leg up to those whom the coaches see on a regular basis for two or three years. The last time that Team Canada was without a QMJHL presence on their coaching staff was on the stacked team of 2005; perhaps the best entry in WJC history. That team featured only two players from the Q circuit, one of them being Sidney Crosby.

So how might the Q’s representation shake out for this year’s tournament?

Locks

Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, Saint John Sea Dogs

There are some questions about his health, but Huberdeau has long been expected to be one of the offensive leaders for this team. The 3rd overall selection in June’s draft is one of the most skilled juniors in the world, and will be leaned on as such in this tournament. He’s recovering from a broken foot, but Hockey Canada seems to think he’ll be good to go. They’ll need him.

Brandon Gormley, D, Moncton Wildcats

There are only three returning players for this year’s edition of Team Canada, but Gormley would certainly have patrolled the blueline last year if he weren’t sidelined by an injury shortly before the tournament. With no returnees on defense, Gormley will be counted on to provide some stability on the back end.

On The Fence

Nathan Beaulieu, D, Saint John Sea Dogs

Although he was drafted in the first round only this June, Beaulieu will be 19 when the puck drops on Boxing Day due to an early birthday. As a result, he’s in his fourth junior season and is off to a strong start with the Sea Dogs. He’ll certainly be among the top 8 or 9 defensemen in camp, and he’d be on my final team, but this could be a case where a defenseman who the coaching staff is more familiar with grabs his spot.

Zack Phillips, C, Saint John Sea Dogs

Phillips has been one of the hottest scorers in the CHL this season, currently riding a 20-game point streak. After improving on some weaknesses in the summer (see: skating), he’s looking like he can be an impact player on the international stage despite not getting an invite to the summer development camp. The incredible chemistry that he and Huberdeau share cannot be understated in a short tournament like this, either.

Louis Domingue, G, Quebec Remparts

Domingue is one of four goalies fighting for a spot on this team, so simply having a strong camp should be enough to nab one of those spots. He’s off to a hot start playing behind a young Quebec team, but has struggled mightily with consistency issues in the past. Last year’s tournament may scare the decision-makers off from the hot shot from Quebec.

Long Shots

Michael Bournival, C, Shawinigan Cataractes

While one might expect the final cut from last year’s entry to have a good shot at making it a second time around, there are a few factors working against Bournival. He’s been good when in the lineup for Shawinigan, but has missed over half the season to this point with injury. Not to mention that role players generally come from the WHL or OHL for this tournament rather than the Q, and it doesn’t help that the coaches aren’t familiar with his work. Bournival will be in tough here.

Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, D, Rimouski Oceanic

It seems odd to look to anyone but the top scoring defenseman in the entire CHL for an offensive presence from the blueline, but it’s very possible that Gauthier-Leduc is overlooked here. I suspect he’s a late cut, but in the end, the coaching staff opts to go with Dougie Hamilton and/or Joe Morrow, along with Ryan Murphy, to provide the defensive offense.

Phillip Danault, C, Victoriaville Tigres

Danault is undoubtedly one of the best character players invited to selection camp. This is a guy who will work hard doing whatever he’s asked, and also has the ability to play the hero. However, I suspect he, like Bournival, will be overlooked for a more hard-nosed role player from one of the other leagues.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League trade deadline opens on December 17 and runs through January 7. The Saint John Sea Dogs, currently sitting first overall in the league, are expected to be buyers come deadline time.

The Sea Dogs have an extremely rare opportunity in the front of them – a chance at winning back-to-back Memorial Cup titles. Although the team’s dream of hosting this year’s national tournament didn’t become a reality, they certainly have the tools and resources to return there in May.

"At the end of the day, I'm a realist," he said. "It's really hard to win the Memorial Cup the first time. I think it's even harder to win it the second time. We understand how big the challenge is of trying to win it two years in a row.

"We would pull the trigger (on one or two significant trades) if the opportunity is there. We know that if we have another shot at the championship this season we have to go for it. The fans are going to expect us to do that."

Some interesting stuff from McCain.

There haven’t been any hardcore trade rumors involving Saint John yet. That’ll pickup over the next few weeks.

With so many players missing the start the season because of NHL camps and so many players missing over the past few weeks due to injuries, it’s hard to tell what the Dogs need most. Mike Kelly and Gerard Gallant have a busy month ahead of them.

MONCTON – The Saint John Sea Dogs and their depleted lineup
just keep finding ways to grind out wins.

The Sea Dogs were without the services of Jonathan
Huberdeau, Stanislav Galiev, Aidan Kelly, Stephen MacAulay and Ryan Tesink on Tuesday due to injuries. They also lost Jason Seed in the third period after
he was hit from behind. But despite the adversity, the Sea Dogs managed to pull
off a 2-1 overtime victory over the Moncton Wildcats on at the
Coliseum.

To put it simply, the Sea Dogs played a solid game. They
worked with what they had, put in a strong effort, and walked away with the
extra point. Although it wasn’t pretty at times – like on that five-minute
power play – it got the job done.

Stephen Anderson scored in regulation while
Charles-Olivier Roussel had the game-winner in the extra frame. Zack Phillips
and Tomas Jurco both recorded two assists. Phillips’ points extended his streak to 20 games.

Goaltender Mathieu Corbeil had a strong game, making 30
saves and earning first star honours.

Moncton’s lone goal came from Olivier Daoust. Roman Will
allowed a pair of goals on 30 shots.

The win improved the Sea Dogs to 24-7-0-1 on the year and
remain first overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Despite all the
injuries of late, they are still winning. They are 8-1-0-1 in their last 10
games and have won three straight.

MONCTON – It’s November 29th and, incredibly, the Saint
John Sea Dogs are travelling to Moncton for the first time this season.

The Sea Dogs and Wildcats clash this evening at 7pm at
the Moncton Coliseum. The two teams have met just once previously this season
and that was on September 8 – opening night at Harbour Station. Moncton beat
the shorthanded Sea Dogs 3-1.

Just how long has it been since these two rivals have
played? Alexandre Beauregard scored the Sea Dogs and Charlie Millen was in net in their previous meeting. Alex Saulnier had two goals for the ‘Cats while Devon MacAusland added a single
marker. Millen allowed three goals on 26 shots. Roman Will recorded his first career QMJHL
win, making 33 saves.

A lot has changed since opening night – especially for
the Sea Dogs. Only eight regular players dressed for Saint John on that
Thursday night because of so many players taking part in National Hockey League
training camps. Saint John will be without a few players again tonight because
of injuries but will have much more depth.

The Sea Dogs enter play today with a record of 23-7-0-1
and sit first overall in the QMJHL with 47 points. They are two points up on
the second-place Quebec Remparts who have played two fewer games. Saint John is
8-1-0-1 in their last 10 and won back-to-back games over the Cape Breton
Screaming Eagles on the weekend.

Moncton sits third in the Maritimes Division and eighth
overall in the league with a record of 16-12-1-0 for 33 points. They are
8-2-0-0 in their last 10 games and are coming off a shootout win over the
Halifax Mooseheads.

The Sea Dogs are 9-6-0-1 on the road this season. The
Wildcats are 9-4-1-0 at home.

Saint John has been a bit flat over the past few games
but hopefully a big divisional game on the road will get their intensity level
back up. This game kicks off a big week for the Dogs as they host the one and
only Shawinigan Cataractes on Saturday and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Sunday.

Today’s Hockey Canada announcement didn’t give us any
answers regarding Jonathan Huberdeau’s broken foot - but Team Canada is sounding optimistic about his status for the World Junior Hockey Championship.

"They all look like they'll be available for Dec.
10," Team Canada head coach Don Hay said of Huberdeau and other players
who are currently out with injuries. "They all seem to be
progressing."

Huberdeau later tweeted, “Thanks everyone !! I wish I can
go #crossfingers.”

“Winger Jonathan Huberdeau of the Saint John Sea Dogs is
a lock to be on the team, but the fractured bone in his foot is still probably
another two weeks away from being fully healed, which would make him touch and
go for the start of the final camp,” writes McKenzie.

“But the key date for Huberdeau is that he's ready to
play in the pre-tournament games the week before Christmas.”

Canada begins exhibition play on December 19 in Calgary
when they face Finland. Canada also plays on December 22 and 23.

Forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Zack Phillips along with
defenseman Nathan Beaulieu all received invitations. It’s not a surprise to see
all of them invited as the three are premier players in the Quebec Major Junior
Hockey League. All three were selected in the first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Three of the eight QMJHL players invited play for Saint
John. The other Q players included on the roster were goaltender Louis Domigue,
defensemen Jerome Gauthier-Leduc and Brandon Gormley, and forwards Michael
Bournival and Philip Danault.

8 players from the Q, 16 from WHL, 15 from the OHL and
two from the NCAA make up the roster.

“On behalf of the Canadian Hockey League, I would like to
congratulate all players who have been named to the selection camp roster,”
said David Branch, president of the CHL, in a release. “This is a tremendous
honour, and all have worked extremely hard to get to where they are today.”

The camp runs from December 10 – 14 in Calgary. There
will be two Red-White intrasquad games (Dec. 11-12) and one game against a team
of all-stars from Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).

It’s a great day for the Sea Dogs franchise to see three
players receive invites – but none are guarantees to be playing for Team Canada
come Boxing Day. Huberdeau was a lock to make the team until he broke his foot
earlier this month. He’s expected to return in md-to-late December, but it is
still unclear if he’ll be game ready by the time the tourney begins.

Phillips and Beaulieu will both need to have solid camps
if they wish to crack the roster. Phillips sits fifth in league scoring with 46
points – 16 goals and 30 assists – in 26 games. Beaulieu has seven goals and 16
assists and is +18 in 26 contests, good for sixth in scoring amongst defensemen.

According to the Hockey Canada website, the 22-man roster
will be named on December 14. Chris DiDomenico and Simon Despres have been the
only Sea Dogs to play for Team Canada in franchise history.

We’ll have more on this announcement later today. Moosehead
fans ain’t happy over the Nathan MacKinnon decision.

It’s only happened five times before. Wayne Gretzky, Eric Lindros, Jason Spezza, Jay Bouwmeester, Sidney Crosby. Those are the only five players to represent Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships at age 16. Could Nathan MacKinnon be the latest addition to that list?

Later today, Hockey Canada will announce the 40-man selection camp roster for the upcoming World Juniors, from which the final team will be selected. Saying that a 16-year old needs to be a real standout to make the team is an understatement, but anyone who has seen MacKinnon play won’t question his ability to turn heads.

With the eyes of Hockey Canada focused on the Subway Super Series earlier in the month, MacKinnon rose to the occasion and was Team QMJHL’s best skater against the Russians in the first game of the series. However, that wasn’t enough to convince Hockey Canada Head Scout Kevin Prendergast that he was ready to play at the WJC.

I suspect MacKinnon will earn an invite to the selection camp at least, since it’s in Hockey Canada’s best interest to give him that experience for next year, but the odds are stacked against him to actually make the cut. He would need to step in to a scoring role to get regular ice time, and those will be hard to come by. Players like Jaden Schwartz, Ryan Strome, Mark Scheifele and Tyler Toffoli are likely locked in to some of those positions already.

However, MacKinnon does have a few things working in his favour. An injury to Jonathan Huberdeau, expected to play a starring role for Team Canada, could keep him off the final roster if he’s not firing on all cylinders by the end of selection camp. That would free up a top-6 role, not to mention players in the NHL who are unlikely to be released by their teams, such as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Brett Connolly and Sean Couturier.

MacKinnon has all the tools to be a contributor at this level. He has breathtaking speed, including a two-step quickness that not many players have in their arsenal. Terrific hands, a good shot and elite playmaking talent, combined with an ability to dominate physically against players three or four years older than him makes him an offensive threat anywhere on the ice. None of the players named to today’s selection camp roster have quite the array of tools that MacKinnon does, but many of them have pedigree. In a short tournament like this, the players with experience tend to be the ones that make the cut, which doesn’t bode well for MacKinnon despite his talents.

There’s a possibility that he’s taken as the 13th forward, at least to start, as other young, offensively talented players have been in the past. That way he can be sheltered and used only in offensive situations, and if he proves he can handle the level of play, he becomes a player that is leaned on regularly.

If I’m Hockey Canada, I take the kid. He’s a game-breaker at the best of times, and if he shows that he can’t hack it with that level of competition just yet, then you’ve got one hell of a powerplay specialist. It takes a special kind of talent to make Team Canada at age 16, but there aren’t many more deserving of that designation than Nathan MacKinnon.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Tomorrow afternoon, Hockey Canada will announce the 40
players invited to their selection camp for the upcoming 2012 World Junior
Hockey Championship. TSN is already airing commercials for the tournament.

Three members of the Saint John Sea Dogs – forwards
Jonathan Huberdeau and Zack Phillips along with defenseman Nathan Beaulieu –
all have legitimate chances of receiving an invitation. All three were named to
the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Subway Super Series roster. Beaulieu
and Huberdeau both attended Canada’s summer development camp.

Phillips leads the Sea Dogs in scoring with 46 points –
16 goals and 30 assists – in 26 games. Beaulieu has seven goals and 16 assists
and is +18 in 26 contests. Phillips sits fifth in league scoring while Beaulieu
is sixth among defenseman. The two may sit near the top in several statistical
categories, but neither are considered locks to make Team Canada’s final roster.

Huberdeau was the only lock of the three until he broke
his foot in early November. There are still question marks about when
Huberdeau will return, adding even more intrigue to tomorrow’s events.

On Friday, the Telegraph-Journal reported that Huberdeau
“is hopeful of a mid-to-late December return.”
According to the Calgary Herald, Team Canada “players will start arriving in
Calgary on Dec. 10 and will hit the ice on Dec. 11 to Dec. 14. Red and White
games go Dec. 11 and Dec. 12 (both at 5 p.m. MT at Hockey Canada’s new WinSport
arena). They’ll square off with the CIS all-stars on Dec. 13 at 7 p.m., also at
the WinSport arena.” Canada will play three pre-tournament games before the
event begins on Boxing Day.

The question is: if Huberdeau still isn’t 100% by the end
of camp, does Hockey Canada take the risk of naming him to the team’s roster? The
Florida Panthers prospect was off to a blazing start with Saint John before
getting injured, recording 10 goals and 18 assists in 13 games. Is a
not-quite-100% Jonathan Huberdeau still better than something else?

A collection of recaps from last night’s 4-1 Saint John
Sea Dogs win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles…

Our recap. The Sea Dogs had goals from Oliver Cooper,
Danick Gauthier, Stephen Anderson and Zack Phillips. Ryan Tesink and Nathan
Beaulieu each had two assists.

SaintJohnSeaDogs.com’s recap. With the win, the Sea Dogs
ran their home winning streak to 14 games and remained first overall in the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League standings at 23-7-0-1, while the Eagles fell
to 11-17-0-1.

UP AGAIN: Stephen Anderson was in the lineup again for Saint
John. Anderson had a goal, a +2 rating and three shots in the game. Anderson
played for the Summerside Western Capitals on Friday night, the Sea Dogs on
Saturday and was in the Capitals’ lineup again today.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

SAINT JOHN – After a rough outing last week in Bathurst,
Sebastien Auger made up for it with a strong outing on Saturday night against
the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

The rookie goaltender made 29 stops in the Saint John Sea
Dogs’ 4-1 win over the Eagles at Harbour Station in Quebec Major Junior Hockey
League action. His efforts earned him first star honours.

Auger made several big stops to keep momentum going in
Saint John’s favour. The Sea Dogs led 1-0 after one and 2-0 after two. The
Eagles finally broke Auger’s shutout bid with just under five minutes remaining
in the game.

The Sea Dogs had goals from Oliver Cooper, Danick
Gauthier, Stephen Anderson and Zack Phillips. Ryan Tesink and Nathan Beaulieu
each had two assists.

Phillips’ goal and assist extended his point streak to 19
games. The victory also gave Saint John their 14th straight win at
Harbour Station.

It wasn't the most entertaining game but the Sea Dogs played fairly well once again considering the lineup they were icing. The intensity level should rise this week with games against Moncton, Shawinigan, and Chicoutimi.

SAINT JOHN – The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles will be
looking to split their weekend mini-series with the Saint John Sea Dogs tonight at
Harbour Station. Game time is 7pm.

The Sea Dogs defeated the Eagles 5-2 last night at the
Station. Danick Gauthier, Tomas Jurco, Scott Oke, Nathan Beaulieu and Grant
West all scored for Saint John. Charles-Olivier Roussel had two assists. Mathieu
Corbeil made 17 saves for the win.

Cape Breton had goals from David Rose and Jonathan Brunelle.
Alexandre Veronneau allowed five goals on 20 shots while Philippe Trudeau
stopped the one shot he faced in relief.

The Eagles played a good first period and led 1-0. They
took an early 2-0 lead in the second period but couldn’t hang on. Saint John
went on to score five unanswered goals and take game 5-2.

Cape Breton’s power play struggled, going 0-for-5. Saint
John got into penalty trouble in the first period but settled down after that.

The game wasn’t overly rough or nasty but there were
three fights in the contest. Some of that aftermath could carry over into
tonight’s match.

Saint John enters play today with a 22-7-0-1 record, good
for first overall in the QMJHL. They are 8-1-0-1 in their last 10 games and are
13-1-0-0 on home ice.

The Eagles are 11-16-0-1 and sit fifth in the Maritimes
Division and 15th overall in the league. They are 4-6-0-0 in their
last 10 games and have lost three straight. They are also 4-10-0-1 on the road
this year.

A piece of Canadian history will be making a stop in
Saint John tonight.

According to the Sea Dogs website, “the Henderson Jersey
Homecoming Tour will also be at Harbour Station featuring special guest Dennis
Hull, family games, Paul Henderson’s jersey from the 1972 Summit Series, other
memorabilia and much more.”

The Henderson Jersey Tour website states that the exhibit
will be open from 5-7pm and 9-10:30pm. The Sea Dogs host the Cape Breton Screaming
Eagles in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action at 7pm.

Here’s an educational video about the tour.

The Maritime part of the tour comes to an end tomorrow. The
exhibit is in Fredericton Sunday at Willie O’Ree Place from 12-4pm.

A collection of recaps from last night’s 5-2 Saint John
Sea Dogs win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles…

Our recap. The Sea Dogs won their 13th consecutive home
game on Friday night, defeating the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 5-2.

The Telegraph-Journal’s recap. "We came out a little
soft in the first period and we didn't have many shots," Scott Oke said.
"We talked a bit in the room (during the intermission) since we didn't
show up too much in the first. We started being first on the puck, driving the
net and using our speed to support each other."

The Canadian Press’ recap. Scott Oke scored a goal and
assisted on another as the Sea Dogs defeated the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
5-2 Friday. Tomas Jurco, Danick Gauthier, Grant West and Nathan Beaulieu also
scored for Saint John (22-7-1), which currently holds a narrow two-point lead
over the Quebec Remparts for first place.

MISSING IN ACTION: Forwards Aidan Kelly (upper-body),
Jonathan Huberdeau (foot) and Stanislav Galiev (wrist) all missed the contest.
McKenzie Brown and Stephen Anderson, who both made the trip to Quebec City with
the team on Tuesday, were assigned back to junior ‘A,’ according to News 88.9

Also according to News 88.9, Galiev is back in Saint John
after undergoing wrist surgery in Washington DC earlier this week. He is out
for six weeks at least.

Denis Creighton, who was scratched on Tuesday, returned
to the Sea Dogs lineup.

SAINT JOHN – The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles fly into
town to kick of weekend doubleheader against the Saint John Sea Dogs. The two
meet tonight at 7:30pm and tomorrow evening at 7pm.

The Sea Dogs are coming off back-to-back loses. The team
fell 6-5 in a shootout in Bathurst on Sunday and then 4-1 in Quebec City on
Tuesday. Before the two loses, Saint John had won seven straight.

Despite the recent struggles, the Sea Dogs still sit
first overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with a record of
21-7-0-1 for 43 points. The Quebec Remparts – who have played two fewer games –
also have 43 points.

Saint John is still sporting a depleted lineup due to
injuries. Jonathan Huberdeau (foot), Stanislav Galiev (wrist), Tomas Jurco (hip
flexor) and Aidan Kelly (upper-body) all missed Tuesday’s game against the
Remparts.

Cape Breton enters play today with an 11-15-0-1 record
for 23 points. They sit fifth in the Maritimes Division and 15th
overall in the QMJHL. The Eagles have lost two straight and are 4-6-0-0 in
their last 10 games.

Away from Centre 200 this year, the Eagles are 4-9-0-1 and
have been outscored 59-35.

The Sea Dogs and Eagles have met twice previously this
season. On September 16 at Centre 200, Cape Breton won a wild 8-5 game, a match
that the Sea Dogs played without their NHL affiliated players. Then on October
28 at Harbour Station, the Sea Dogs got some revenge by beating the visitors
6-3.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Losers of two straight, the Saint John Sea Dogs will look to get back on track this weekend against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The two teams open up a doubleheader at Harbour Station tomorrow night at 7:30pm. Game two is Saturday at 7pm.

The Sea Dogs fell 6-5 in a shootout on Sunday afternoon in Bathurst before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Quebec Remparts on Tuesday night at Pepsi Colisee. Before the two loses, the Dogs had won seven straight.

Saint John is still battling through the injury bug but this weekend’s games could give the depleted Dogs a boost. The Eagles aren’t exactly a powerhouse this season and enter play tomorrow night with the 14th best record in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League at 11-15-0-1.

"You hope the injuries stop, but we're looking at probably a month before some of our guys come back,'' Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant told the Telegraph-Journal today. "We have 10 games before the Christmas break, so hopefully we'll continue to play hard and battle hard. We've been on the road a lot and it will be nice to get back in our building.''

Checked with source down east: Huberdeau hoping to be back for Canada's selection camp; Jurco just sat Tues. as precaution.

In re: Tomas Jurco, you know what it's like when a guy has a lower-body strain, could be a couple days, could be much longer.

Even with Saint John missing a chunk of their offense, it has not slowed down Zack Phillips. The Minnesota Wild prospect enters action tomorrow on a 17-game point streak with 11 goals and 22 assists over that span.

Friday's game is also the first of seven straight that will be played in New Brunswick. Six of those games will take place at Harbour Station.

Sherbrooke’s new Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team
will be called the “Phoenix.” The new franchise that will begin play next
season announced their team name and unveiled their logo and jersey today.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Oliver Cooper has been named to Team Atlantic’s roster
for the upcoming World Under-17 Challenge.

The Saint John Sea Dogs rookie was among 22 players who
were named to the roster today. The tournament takes place in Windsor, Ont.
from December 29 to January 4 and features five Canadian teams along with
squads from Czech Republic, Germany, Russia, Sweden and the United States.

Cooper, a Fredericton native, has six goals and six
assists in 28 games this season. He was Saint John’s top pick in the 2011
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

Team Atlantic’s roster is highlighted by Nathan
MacKinnon. The Halifax Mooseheads forward sits second in QMJHL rookie scoring and 13th
overall with 12 goals and 23 assists in 24 games. Already considered the top
prospect for the 2013 National Hockey League Entry Draft, MacKinnon will be
getting plenty of attention.

There is, however, the outside chance MacKinnon could
crack Canada’s World Junior roster which would make him unavailable for the
tournament.

Team Atlantic plays an exhibition game on December 28 against Team USA. They open the tournament on the 29th against Team Quebec.

Maxime Gravel, who the Sea Dogs selected in June’s QMJHL
draft, was named to Team Quebec’s roster.

According to the Hockey Canada website, “the gold medal
game will be held Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. ET and will be shown on TSN/RDS, Hockey
Canada’s official broadcasters. All other games at the tournament, including
both semifinals and the bronze medal game, will be available through FASTHockey
at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com.”

The Saint John Sea Dogs have slid to No. 3 in the
Canadian Hockey League’s weekly rankings. The latest edition of the BMO CHL
MasterCard Top 10 Rankings were released this afternoon.

Saint John had been ranked second for three straight
weeks.

The Sea Dogs had a busy week, playing four games. The
Dogs beat the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 4-3 on Wednesday at Harbour Station before
hitting the road. On Friday, the Dogs defeated the PEI Rocket 2-1 in
Charlottetown and then 6-5 in a shootout in Bathurst on Sunday. Last night, the
Quebec Remparts downed the Dogs 4-1.

Under the circumstances, the Sea Dogs did pretty well,
picking up five of a possible eight points.

Other Quebec Major Junior Hockey League teams to crack
this week’s CHL Top 10 were the Remparts at No. 2, Shawinigan Cataractes at No.
8 and the Victoriaville Tigres at No. 9.

Jacques Beaulieu and the Sarnia Sting were ranked seventh
this week.

The weekly rankings of the Canadian Hockey League’s Top
10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

MISSING IN ACTION: As expected, Tomas Jurco missed the match with a hip flexor injury and is day-to-day. He was injured on Sunday in the Sea Dogs’ 6-5
shootout loss in Bathurst.

Once again, Jonathan Huberdeau (foot), Stanislav Galiev
(wrist) and Aidan Kelly (upper-body) missed the game. News 88.9 confirmed that
Galiev had wrist surgery in Washington earlier this week. He is expected to
miss another six weeks.

The Saint John Sea Dogs forward has recorded at least a point in 17 straight games. It looked as though his streak would come to an end last night but, with 4:40 remaining in the third period, Phillips snipped one past Quebec Remparts goaltender Louis Domingue.

The goal ended Domingue’s shutout bid but the Remparts would go on to defeat the Sea Dogs 4-1.

Phillips’ 17-game point streak is the longest in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season and is a Sea Dogs team record. Since October 14, the Minnesota Wild prospect has recorded 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points. The streak also included an impressive 13-game assist streak that ended on November 13.

33 of Phillips’ 43 points this season have come during the streak. He is already one-point away from tying rookie total.

The Fredericton native's hot play this season has no doubt boosted his chances of getting an invite to Team Canada’ World Junior camp.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

QUEBEC CITY – The good news was that Zack Phillips
extended his point streak to 17 games. The bad news was the score.

The Saint John Sea Dogs fell 4-1 to the Quebec Remparts
on Tuesday night at Quebec Colisee. The loss was Saint John’s second straight
while Quebec has now won nine consecutive games.

The offense just wasn’t there again for the Sea Dogs.
Missing Jonathan Huberdeau, Stanislav Galiev, Tomas Jurco and Aidan Kelly due
to injuries, the Sea Dogs fired 26 shots on goal and went 0-for-4 on the power
play.

Phillips was the only Sea Dog who could beat Remparts
goaltender Louis Domingue, ending his shutout bid with 4:40 to go in the game.
Mathieu Corbeil allowed four goals on 33 shots.

Mikhail Grigorenko stole the show for Quebec by netting a
hat trick. Patrick Walsh had the other Quebec goal. Domingue made 25 stops for
the win.

Not much else to say about this one. Sea Dogs play their
next seven games in New Brunswick.

QUEBEC CITY – There is only one Quebec Major Junior
Hockey League game on the schedule tonight – and it is a big one.

The two top teams in the league meet tonight at Pepsi
Colisee as the Quebec Remparts host the Saint John Sea Dogs at 8pm. The game
was originally scheduled to be played later this season but was rescheduled because
of a conflict with the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

The Sea Dogs enter play with a league-best record of
21-6-0-1 and have 43 points. The Remparts sit second with a record of 19-4-2-1
for 41 points but have played two fewer games than Saint John.

In last week’s BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings, the Sea
Dogs were ranked second while the Remparts were fourth.

Quebec has won eight straight games going into this
evening’s game. They are 9-1-0-0 in their last 10. Meanwhile, Saint John
saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday evening when they
fell 6-5 to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in a shootout. The Dogs are 8-1-0-1 in
their last 10.

Tonight’s game will see the league’s best offensive team
go head-to-head against the best defensive team. The Sea Dogs have scored a
league high 131 goals while the Remparts have allowed a league low 68.

Saint John and Quebec met earlier this season at Harbour
Station, a game that the Sea Dogs dominated en route to a 6-0 victory. Danick
Gauthier had two goals while singles came from Tomas Jurco, Jason Cameron,
Nathan Beaulieu and Charles-Olivier Roussel. Mathieu Corbeil made 22 stops for
the shutout.

The Sea Dogs can expect a much tougher game tonight at
Pepsi Colisee, one of the toughest buildings in junior hockey to play in.

Monday, November 21, 2011

The newspaper reports that Galiev had surgery on his broken wrist in Washington recently. The Russian winger tweeted last weekend that he was heading to DC but has since deleted it.

Galiev has not played with the Sea Dogs since October 1 because of the injury that he originally suffered at Washington Capitals training camp. In five games with Saint John, he recorded three goals and three assists.

It’s bad news for Galiev as this means he won’t have an opportunity to play for Russia at the World Junior Hockey Championships this winter.

The Caps prospect is one of several forwards missing from the Sea Dogs lineup these days. Captain Jonathan Huberdeau has still recovering from a broken foot, Aidan Kelly missed Sunday’s game with an upper-body injury, and Tomas Jurco left Sunday’s game with what Journal de Quebec reports as an hip flexor injury.

Forwards McKenzie Brown and Steven Anderson have both been recalled to help fill the void. The Sea Dogs are in Quebec City to face the Remparts on Tuesday at 8pm.

A collection of recaps from yesterday’s 6-5 Saint John Sea
Dogs shootout loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan…

Our recap. Special teams were the story as Saint John
went just 1-for-9 on the power play and killed off just one of four penalties
en route to a 6-5 shootout loss to Acadie-Bathurst Titan in front of a sparse
crowd at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

The Telegraph-Journal’s recap. "The guys never
quit," added the Titan coach Eric Dubois. "They could have collapsed
after Saint John came back but they stuck to it and kept working hard. We are
going to deserve that day off (Monday)."

SaintJohnSeaDogs.com’s recap. Zack Phillips had four
assists for the visiting Sea Dogs, who picked up a point for the eighth
straight game to run their record to 21-6-0-1. Phillips now has points in 16
straight games, the longest streak in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and
a team record.

MISSING IN ACTION: Aidan Kelly, who took a head shot on
Friday from PEI Rocket defenseman Jimmy Oligny, did not play. He is day-to-day
with an ‘upper-body’ injury, reports News 88.9. He will not play Tuesday in
Quebec City.

Here is video of the hit courtesy of HockeyFights.com.

Oligny did not play for the Rocket yesterday in their
loss to the Victoriaville Tigres.

Forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Stanislav Galiev were out
once again. Forward Devon Oliver-Dares and defenseman Tyrone Sock are currently
not with the team.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

BATHURST – It was a rough game for the Saint John Sea
Dogs on Sunday evening in Bathurst.

Special teams were the story as Saint John went just
1-for-9 on the power play and killed off just one of four penalties en route to
a 6-5 shootout loss to Acadie-Bathurst Titan in front of a sparse crowd at the
KC Irving Regional Centre.

Saint John had control for much of the game but only led
for a short time in the third period. The Sea Dogs outshot the Titan 38-22
overall and 37-16 in regulation. Bathurst was very opportunistic with their
chances in this game which included a strong performance from their power play.

It was also a strong team effort from the Titan as just
one of their five goals came from their top line of Zach O’Brien, Sebastien
Trudeau and Matthew Bissonnette.

The Titan had a pair of goals from Alex Jon Banville and singles
from O’Brien, Mirko Hoefflin, and Olivier Houle. O’Brien scored the lone goal
in the shootout. Goaltender Jacob Brennan made 33 stops in the game and all
three in the shootout.

Saint John had two goals from both Tomas Jurco and Ryan
Tesink. Kevin Gagne added a single marker. Zack Phillips extended his point
streak to 16 games by recording four assists.

Goaltender Sebastien Auger did not have a good night in
goal for Saint John. He allowed five goals on 22 shots – 16 of those shots came
in regulation time. The rookie netmider allowed two goals on four shots in the
first period, one on six shots in the second and two on six shots in the third.

The loss ended Saint John’s winning streak at seven games
and also dropped them to 0-2 in Bathurst this season.

BATHURST – The Saint John Sea Dogs travel to Bathurst
today to take on their provincial rivals at 4pm at the KC Irving Regional
Centre.

Today’s match marks only the third time this season the
two teams have met. The Titan pounded a depleted Sea Dogs lineup 8-1 back on
September 9 in Bathurst. Saint John then beat the Titan 6-2 on September 24 at
Harbour Station.

The Titan have had their ups and downs this season and
currently sit fifth in the Maritimes Division and 15th overall in
the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with a record of 9-14-2-1. They have lost
two straight going into this one and are 2-6-1-1 in their last 10.

At the KC Irving Regional Centre, the Titan are 6-6-1-1
and have outscored their opponents 62-54.

The Sea Dogs enter play today with a league-best record
of 21-6-0-0. They have 42 points and sit one-point up on the Quebec Remparts
for first overall.

Despite missing several players die to injuries and
illness over the past few weeks, the Sea Dogs have won seven straight and are
9-1-0-0 in their last 10 games. They will look to win their season high eighth
straight contest this afternoon.

With the injuries, Saint John’s offense hasn’t been
clicking that well over the past few games. Despite that, the Dogs lead the
league in goals scored with 126 in 27 games. The Victoriaville Tigres have
scored the next highest amount of goals with 117.

On the road, the Dogs are 9-5-0-0 and have outscored
opponents 54-46.

This is the second road game in three days for Saint John
as they beat the PEI Rocket 2-1 on Friday night in Charlottetown. The Sea Dogs
are in Quebec City on Tuesday.

MISSING IN ACTION: Defenseman Pierre Durepos, who missed part of Wednesday’s game because of the flu, was still sick and missed this one. It marked the first time in Durepos’ Sea Dogs career that he missed a game because of an injury/illness.

Forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Stanislav Galiev remained out with broken bones. Devon Oliver-Dares and Tyrone Sock are currently not with the team.

TESINK: Ryan Tesink returned to Saint John’s lineup on Friday night. He was a -1 and recorded three shots, two penalty minutes and four hits. He started the game on a line with Zack Phillips and Stephen MacAulay.

The St. Louis Blues prospect hadn’t played since November 4 due to an ‘upper-body’ injury.

Friday, November 18, 2011

The Sea Dogs won their seventh straight game on Friday
night at the Charlottetown Civic Centre, defeating the PEI Rocket 2-1. Saint
John improved their Quebec Major Junior Hockey League record to 21-6-0-0 and sit first overall with 42 points.

Tomas Jurco and Gauthier scored for Saint John. Gauthier
netted his league-best 24th marker of the year. Zack Phillips,
wearing the ‘C’ in Jonathan Huberdeau’s absence, recorded an assist on Jurco’s
goal to extend his point streak to 15 games. It is the longest
streak in the league this season.

Mathieu Corbeil was excellent in net again for Saint
John, making 28 saves for the win. He was named first star for his performance.

CHARLOTTETOWN – Winners of six straight, the Saint John
Sea Dogs open up a road stretch this evening against the PEI Rocket. Game time
is 7pm at the Charlottetown Civic Centre.

Tonight’s game kicks of a stretch that will see the Sea
Dogs play three road games in five days. After tonight’s tilt, the Dogs play in
Bathurst on Sunday and in Quebec City this Tuesday.

Saint John enters play this evening with a 20-6-0-0
record, good for first in the Maritimes Division and top spot in the entire
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They are three points up on the second-place
Quebec Remparts.

The Sea Dogs haven’t been playing their best the past few
games but are still winning. They have won six straight and are 9-1-0-0 in
their last 10 games.

On the road, Saint John is 8-5-0-0 and have outscored
their opponents 52-45. Their last road contest was one week ago tonight in
Charlottetown when they defeated the Rocket 7-3. The Dogs will be looking for a
repeat performance this evening.

The Rocket sit last in the entire QMJHL with a record of
6-17-2-1. They have 15 points on the year and sit one-point back of the Rouyn-Noranda
Huskies for the final playoff spot.

PEI has lost five straight going into tonight and are a
woeful 2-7-1-0 in their past 10 games.

At the CCC this season, the Rocket are 3-6-2-1 and have
been outscored 51-42.

This is the third meeting of the season between Saint
John and PEI. The Sea Dogs have won all three by scores of 5-3, 10-3, and 7-3.